LoserEvery computer professional has run into at least one person who just doesn’t get the whole computer thing. What is perfectly obvious to you is completely beyond their grasp. You try to avoid these people because they ask (in your opinion) such stupid questions.

But, if you approach these situations with the right attitude, you can have a champion that could make your life easier in the long run. Here are a few useful tips to remember when you are dealing with these people.

The Executive Overview

Don’t do any of these things:


I was thinking of leaving it at that but I thought I would go into a bit more detail.

Non-Computer People May Think Differently Than You Do

We, as computer professionals, tend to be very logical and instruction oriented. You do step one, then step two, followed by step three, and you are done. But many people do not think like that. They are more like my mother.

I once asked my mother to show me how to make a cake. When I asked what recipe to follow, she said, “Well, you can follow a recipe if you want but all you need to so is take a bit of this and some of that and then throw it in the oven!” This made perfect sense to her and she couldn’t understand why my cake resembled something more akin to toxic waste than a delicious dessert.

The same goes for computer people. What we are telling people makes perfect sense to us. But, to non-computer people, we sound more like the teacher in a Peanuts cartoon. Try to remember this and explain things differently if you need to.

Use Analogies From Everyday Life That Everyone Understands

People will understand computer concepts easier if you connect them to things that they already understand. For example, if someone asks you why the Internet is so slow when they send an e-mail but fast when receiving, don’t say, “Even though there is untold petabytes of data available on the Internet, we are only running a fractional T1 line with an asymmetrical up/down stream.”

Instead, you might say something like, “You can think of the Internet like a big water tank. On that tank are two hoses. One is a fire hose and the other is a garden hose. We can only use the fire hose for taking water out of the tank and the water hose is for putting water in the tank. We can take water out a lot faster than we can put it back in. The same goes for receiving and sending e-mail. You receive e-mail using a “fire hose” connection to the Internet but send it using a “garden hose”.”

This will make a lot more sense to them and they will feel like they have a better understanding of what is going on.

Don’t Talk Down to People

I have seen computer people talk to others like they were mentally challenged. Remember, we all have skills and excel at something. The next time you are tempted to talk down to a user, just imagine how you would feel if you needed to hitch a team of horses or reconcile a year’s worth of invoices. It gets pretty scary when we step out of our comfort zones and talking down to people does not help the situation.

Respect Their Computer

Even though the computers are your responsibility, people still see them as an extension of themselves. So, if you need to do some work on someone’s computer, ask their permission. My typical line is, “Do you mind if I drive?” People never take offense to this. It also gives them back some of their self-esteem because it can be very difficult for some people to ask for help. And if they are pushed aside like just another obstacle, this will not go far in helping the situation.

Help Them Solve Their Own Problems

Sometimes, people just need to be pointed in the right direction. If the issue is something that they should be able to do themselves, walk them through the solution while they solve the problem themselves. People are always appreciative if they go away from a situation thinking that they have learned something or gained a new skill.

Baby Steps

If someone is learning something that is relatively complex, break it down to small managable steps. This way, they are more likely to understand what they are doing and then be able to reproduce it.

Empathize With Them

When you encounter someone who is simply at their wits end or are completely in tears over the computer (I have seen this more than once), reassure them that everything is going to be OK. If you can, tell them a personal story where you were completely frustrated with something that, in the end, turned out fine. This creates a connection between you and the user which can go a long way

Be Confident, But Not Arrogant

Whenever I run into someone who is afraid of “breaking” the computer, I look at them with a glint in my eye and say, “There is nothing that you can do that I can’t fix! OK. Maybe a couple but that is what the fire department is for!” As long as you can say something like this in a half joking manner, people will begin to take perceived “risks” on their computers.

But, if you are going to use this line, be sure you can back it up! (No pun intended!)

Conclusion

Why working with non-computer people can be a real challenge, if you handle the situation right, you will have some very important allies when you may find that it is you who is looking for help.

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Tim Fehlman